DUMP FIRE DREAD
Small blaze sparks big fears at Lara
LARA locals are on edge ahead of a hot and dry summer, after a fire at a dangerous recycling dump just south of the town.
The fire was caused by the onsite generator at one of Victoria’s highest-risk sites, C & D Recycling on Broderick Rd.
The CFA confirmed the blaze did not spread into the towering piles of waste at the site that rise up to 14m high.
But the incident has heightened residents’ fears about the safety of the facility, ahead of what is expected to be a long firedanger period.
A FIRE at a dangerous rubbish facility south of Lara has put locals on edge as they prepare for a hot and dry summer.
Authorities yesterday tested their emergency plans for one of Victoria’s highest-risk sites, after an incident at the C & D Recycling facility in Lara.
The fire was caused by an on-site generator used to power a small office at the Broderick Rd complex.
The CFA confirmed the fire did not spread into nearby waste piles towering up to 14 metres high.
But the incident has heightened fears for locals’ safety ahead of what is expected to be a long fire danger period.
Lara Care Group president Barry White said the threat of a devastating blaze at the site had “everyone on tenterhooks”.
“People are frustrated that it was allowed to get to this,” he said of years of legal inaction that allowed a massive accumulation of waste at the facility.
“They are quite clearly upset and quite concerned.”
Mr White said a minimum 12month time frame to reduce the enormous amount of waste had created a lot of anxiety in the town.
“I hope that this is the worst that will happen out there,” he said.
Six CFA crews arrived at the scene after 12.45pm and the fire was quickly contained, with the area declared safe just before 1pm.
A multi-agency taskforce, involving the CFA, Geelong council, police, EPA and WorkSafe, is closely monitoring the site and preparing for the possibility of a catastrophic fire event.
The former recycling centre has been shut since last December, with more than 350,000 cubic metres of debris spread across the dormant site.
The former director of C & D Recycling, David McAuliffe, last week pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates’ Court to nine criminal charges.
The charges related to his inability to comply with Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal orders, which included a requirement to have an excavator, bulldozer and water tanker on hand.
McAuliffe is scheduled back at court on January 16, when he will be sentenced.
A fire services access road and water access point have recently been installed at the facility, and the property’s owner, Australian Sawmilling Company, is required to have security guards onsite at all times.
Fire experts have previously estimated an out-of-control blaze would burn for up to a month, forcing the evacuation of homes and businesses and causing widespread contamination.